Tobacco-press.



No..692,494. Patented Feb. 4, |902.

J. M. VAUGHAN.

TOBACCO PRESS.

(Application led July 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Nrrnn STA-*res TFICE.

PATENT TOBACCO-PRESS.

SPECIFlCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,494, dated February4, 1902. Application led July 23,1901. Serial No. 69,385. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus M. VAUGHAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Owensboro, in the county of Daviess and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTobacco-Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to means for compressing tobacco and other goodsusually packed by pressure to reduce the bulk.

The invention is a press for condensing tobacco in hogsheads forshipment, the purpose being to complete the work in one operation, tominimize the cost of the press and its operation, and to economize inspace and locate the working parts so they will not be in the way.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereofand alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foraffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

Vhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention aresusceptible of modiiication, still the preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is an elevation of a press embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a topView of theyoke. Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the lever or sweepsecured to the press-screw. Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. 3, showingmeans for operating the press-screw through the instrumentality of amotor.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The press comprises an upper yoke l, a lower yoke 2, tie-rods 3,connecting the yokes, a plunger 4, a rod 5, connecting the plunger withthe upper yoke 1, a press-screw 6, having screw-thread connection lwiththe lower yoke 2, and a framework comprising standards 7 and across-beam 8, thelatter connecting the standards 7 at their upper endsand apertured for the passage of the tie-rods 3 and plunger-rod 5. Theframework is supoperation.

ported upon a floor or beam 9, which separates the cellar, basement, orpit from the upper story. The yoke 2, press-screw 6, and actuating meansfor the press-screw are located in the cellar or below the beam or floor9, so as to be out of the way and not occupy valuable floor-space. Theparts are Vertically arranged and normally tend to gravitate, andadvantage is taken of this latter feature to utilize the dead weight forcompressing the material when the press is in The floor or beam 9supports the hogshead or other receptacle containing the tobacco ormaterial to be compressed, and inasmuch as the upper end of thepress-screw 6 obtains a bearing against the lower side of the floor orbeam il the latter is arranged between two neutralizing forces, henceneed not be Very heavy or strong, since the weight of the material andthe compressing force eX- erted thereon are sustained by the pressscrew6,as will be readily comprehended. The lower end of the press-screw 6ismounted in a step or block l0, secured to the floor ofthe cellar orpit, and the upper end of the pressscrew is provided with a head 411,recessed in its top side to receive balls 12 or like antifrictiondevices, so as to reduce the friction between the upper end of the screwand lthe beam or floor 9 to the smallest amount possible.

The press-screw is threaded into a vertical opening formed centrally inthe yoke 2 and is adapted to be rotated by manual, horse, or otherpower. For the application of manual or horse power a lever 13 issecured to the lower end of the press-screw G, and the power forrotating the screw is applied to the outer end of the said lever. Whenthe lever 13 is used as a sweep of a horse-power, the animal is hitchedto the outer end thereof in any of the usual ways and walks in a circlearound the press-screw 6. When the press-screw is to be operated bysteam, electrical, orother motive power, a gear-wheel l1 is secured tothe lower end of the press-screw 6, and a pinion 15 is in meshingrelation therewith and is secured to a shaft 1G, which is connected withthe motor (not shown) in any selected way.

The hogshead (not shown) into which vthe tobacco is to be forced underpressure is filled at any convenient point and is brought to the pressupon a truck and is arranged so that the plunger 4 will bear centrallyupon the head, the latter being forced into proper position and thetobacco compressed by rotation of the press-screw, which lowers theconnected yokes l and 2 and the attached plunger 4. The weight of theparts plays an important factorin the operation of compressing thematerial.

Having thus described lthe invention, what is claimed as new is- In apress, a horizontally-arranged beam or floor, yokes arranged one abovethe other below I[he said beam or floor, tie-rods connecting the yokes,a plunger located above the said beam or Hoor and connected with thenpper yoke, and a vertical press-screw in line with the plunger-rod andthreaded into the lower yoke and located below the said beam or floorand obtaining a bearing at its upper end thereagainst forsupporting thesaid beam. vor floor against the Weight and compressing

